Dispute over Zionist entity at Africa summit

Dispute over Zionist entity at Africa summit

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia: Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh yesterday urged the African Union to withdraw Zionist entity’s accreditation, bringing simmering tensions to a head as the 55-member bloc opened a two-day summit in Addis Ababa. Even as the continent reels from a spate of military coups and the coronavirus pandemic, the relationship with Zionist entity is expected to figure prominently during the summit this weekend. The dispute was set in motion last July when Moussa Faki Mahamat, chair of the African Union Commission, accepted Zionist entity’s accreditation to the bloc, triggering a rare dispute within a body that values consensus.

As heads of state gathered in Ethiopia’s capital yesterday, Shtayyeh called on the body to reject Faki’s move. “Zionist entity should never be rewarded for its violation and for the apartheid regime it does impose on the Palestinian people,” he said. “Your excellency, I’m sorry to report to you that the situation of the Palestinian people has only grown more precarious.” The summit may see a vote on whether to back or reject Faki’s decision, which could yield an unprecedented split in the bloc.

Zionist entity’s accreditation last year drew quick protest from powerful members, including South Africa and Algeria which argued